Darkness takes over
by Elven.Blonde
Summary: Hermione's life changes when she finds her real parents. Harry and Ron leave her and the ones to pick up the pieces are Slytherins, Malfoy and Zabini twins.... BlaiseHermione fic
1. In the Beginning

Lying on a beach in the south of France a recently changed brunette flipped over onto her flattened stomach and started to allow the sun's rays to tan her naturally pale back. Amongst the people the talented witch was not recognised by her fellow magical folk, or as one of Harry Potter's best friends. For her she was lucky in the sense that she had the privacy needed to rebuild her life and to somewhat become accustomed to the new way of living in which she had been thrown.

Late in Hermione Granger's sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was she informed that the Granger's were not her true, biological parents and also that she was not muggleborn at all, but part of one of the most secretive and prestigious pureblooded families in all of Britain.

At birth the Etoile's had decided that it was safer for her first born daughter, Hermione, to go into hiding because of the new rules being enforced by their Lord that only firstborn sons were to be accepted. Therefore they thrust their daughter into the arms of an unsuspecting muggle at the nearest orphanage and fled into the night. That was were Harold and Anne Granger found and adopted young Hermione.

The news of her unknown adoption was not meant to come out until Hermione turned 17 and was considered a responsible witch and able to handle the truth, but Voldemort's rise in power and the desperation that the Etoile's were going through to produce some form of heir to be inducted into the death eater ranks forced them to contact Dumbledore ahead of schedule and to have Hermione delivered to them as soon as possible and her family's history and why they had given her up told to her so that she would one day carry on the family and become one of the leaders in the Dark Lords ranks.

Once Hermione Anne Granger had been informed that tis was not actually her true identity and that she was not actually allowed to fraternise with the enemy, aka Harry, Ron and Ginny, her whole outlook on life changed. She was no longer the study conscious teen that seemly had no social life and her appearance from resident bookworm changed to a girl who was still modest but showed a bit more personality and confidence when around others. There had also been the matters including where she was to go that summer. No longer was she allowed to attend the usual gatherings and week long stays at the Burrow but was forced to come home to the Etoile Mansion, situated in the South of France and she was taught to only associate with those of the same social status.

This meant that Death Eater balls had become a regular during her holidays and days in Diagon Alley with the likes of Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini and his twin Jessica and Pansy Parkinson had become frequented. Although Hermione put up the strong façade that kept her going through the trying first few months there were times at night where she would break down and sob to her hearts content or until sleep overcame her and dulled her fears. She still missed Harry and the others and wasn't as easily accepting of the Dark Lord's ways, still staying true to her ultimate best friend, but to keep herself alive until she found a way out of this predicament.

She had formed allies with Jessica, Blaise and Pansy almost within the first week and they all understood the pressure and difference this change had on her life cause they felt it hard enough to grow up with it let alone be submerged halfway through your life. Then there was Draco. He stood alone from the group, still making clever remarks and ostracizing Hermione, or Mya as she was now known to them. He was a lost cause and only stood beside her to please his parents and the Dark Lord.

Out of all of them though Hermione felt closest to Jessica, she was the youngest of the Zabini twins though definitely the most mature. She had deep indigo eyes, much like her brothers and the family inherited olive skin, but the thing that set her out from all the rest was her intuition, she could always tell when something was wrong or when her brother was about to do something stupid and would end up screaming out obscenities at him in Italian before her even had the chance to start what he had planned. Maybe it was a twin thing, and then there was her deep ebony curled hair, which reached just past her shoulders and set off her eyes beautifully. She had become Hermione's confident and knew everything there was to know about the situation Hermione felt she was in. They shared long nights talking after Pansy left them and had many trips away to the beach with Draco and Blaise as their Chaperones. For it was a common rule in most pureblooded families that the women were never to leave the house alone. The men were overprotective and the women thought unable to defend themselves.

Oh how wrong that rule was.

The Etoile Manor consisted of four wings. One for each member of the family and then the last which had three levels and was fully equipped with a training gym, library and common family dining hall and kitchen areas. It was the training gym and library which had first sparked Hermione's interest and once she had made a friend to train with, her and Jessica would frequent that place regularly. They practised physical and magical combat for weeks until finally Jessica asked Blaise and Draco whether they would like to come with them. The first time was the hardest and one filled with the most laughs.

Blaise and Hermione paired up and started as the opening display whilst Draco and Jessica watched and critised their friends manoeuvres. Jessica watched with undivided attention as Blaise, as per usual, rushed into things and underestimated Hermione's strength and ability to use compromising situations to her advantage. This left her brother sprawled on the ground with her friend standing their, a confident smile upon her face. Within the next second Blaise had kicked her feet out from under her and brought her down to his level. He looked satisfied. Then both regained their composure over the initial shock and regained their stances, upright! The little spar between the two continued like this for what seemed like ages until Blaise was finally able to pin Hermione to the ground and have her surrender whilst his wand was trained on her neck. Though as she admitted defeat and started to get up another thought came to the brunette's mind and she reached out and poked Blaise numerous times in different positions resulting mainly around his sides just below the ribcage. This sent the older twin into fits of laughter and a bemused look formed upon not only Hermione's face but Draco and Jessica's as well. They both alighted from the stands and headed to the sparring floor trying to prise the two away from their newly started tickle war.

It took 30 minutes and 50 or so conjured pillows and soft objects to stop the playful fight that had broken out and for the four of them to realise that they had finally bonded and for three of them to realise that Draco, The Draco, I don't want anything to do with the former mudblood, was joining in and actually the one assaulting Hermione.

They all laughed of the odd behaviour of the blonde and had him looking like a beetroot for minutes. Times like those were what brought them together. And after that Draco and Hermione became friends. It even showed in the more frequent visits to Diagon Alley and since school was to start in two weeks and Hermione was now head girl and surprisingly Blaise head boy they had little time to prepare.

Heading into the Alley way the next day was the only thing the four could do and they all needed to get out of their own respected mansions since each ones parents had recently been on a raid which had gone wrong and suddenly they were to blame.

Though they had expected some people to be shopping on the early Sunday morning they had not foreseen Harry and co to be there. Ginny Weasley now walking in Hermione's old place between her brother and boyfriend and giggling like there was no tomorrow until she spotted Hermione standing ahead, alone for the moment cause Blaise and Draco had gone to look and brooms and Jessica was getting ice-creams for them all.

"Mione!" the red head exclaimed as she came bounding up the side-walk and trapping Hermione in a hug. "Where have you been? I've sent you letters all holidays and they all came back unanswered?"

"Oh, ummmm," she began.

"Mya which one was yours, was it chocolate or the hazelnut?" called a deeper female voice from behind as both Harry, Ron and Ginny looked passed Hermione's shoulder to see who it was.

"It was the hazelnut Jess," Mya called back as the raven haired girl came up alongside her.

"What are you doing here Zabini?" were an enraged Harry's first words for at school a Zabini was almost as bad as Malfoy.

"None of your Business Potter. Here you go Mya."

"Why are you with her Mione, what happened these holidays?''

"Well Harry, ummmm, ifoundoutmyparentsarentmyparentsandimactuallyadoptedandpurebloodandaheirtooneoftheoldestwizardingfamilies…." 

"What?" came the voice of a confused and baffled Ron.

"I found out my parents aren't my parents and I'm actually adopted and pureblood and a heir to one of the oldest wizarding families."

"Oh, so does that mean you just ditch us for that trash?"

"Watch it Weaslette, you never know who might be listening."

"I'm sure I can handle them."

"Ginny, Jess don't fight! And no I didn't abandon you I was simply banned from seeing or contacting anyone apart from old family friends."

"Right Mione, you still could have owled us. I know you if it was important you would've."

"That's not it Ron!"

"Ladies is there a problem here?" asked Draco as he came and snake an arm around Jessica's waist and as Blaise walked up inbetween Jess and Mya and entwined his fingers through his sisters and the uneasy Gryffindors.

"None of your business Malfoy!"

"Well if your insulting my girlfriend and her best friend then I think it is." He replied, winking at Jess.

"Your nothing but pureblooded trash Malfoy and you know it and Hermione never did I think you would ditch us for the likes of them….." Harry said giving Hermione a nasty glare before turning and starting to walk away from her the others in tow.

"It's not like that Harry, you have to listen…" Mya called out to his retreating back.

"I did Mione and _you_ didn't give a good enough reason!"

"You Conniving Prat of an Ego inflated Gryffindor. You treat your friends worse than your enemies!" Jess called out through Diagon Alley.

"Yeh well she lost the privilege of a friend as soon as she befriended _you_!" with that he left.

Ron went to follow but not before throwing one last saddened glance at Hermione and Ginny just ran after him like a lost little puppy, disregarding her used to be best friends hurt expression.

"Mya pay no attention, your just as good a person even better. You know just have evil parents and Slytherin tendencies." Laughed Jess attempting to lighten the mood.

"She's right Mi, there not worth your time if they treat you like shit!" Draco added as he offered her a smile.

Blaise just took her in a hug and gave her a I-understand- and-we'll-get-them-back look before leading the rest of them and their melting ice-creams back down towards Knockturn Alley and their way out. 


	2. The Ball

Once back at the Etoile Manor, the four left their newly acquired school supplies in the hall for their respected house elves to take back to their own homes or rooms. Hermione still tried desperately to prove that using the little creatures as slaves was wrong but it was to no avail and soon everyone, even her parents had learnt to tune out as soon as she began on a rant.

Hermione had changed so much over the holidays. Not only in attitude but now looks as well. Jessica had convinced her to restyle and cut her waist long hair, to shoulder length and now loose curls. And both had worked on maintaining figures. It had all been for tonight that they had done this because the annual Death Eater Ball, the only one at which Voldemort was present, was to take place that evening. This meant that each child of a trusted Death Eater would be introduced to their new Lord and then he would either accept them or order them to be gotten ridden of. Not that the latter happened often recently because of the decrease of followers due to Dumbledore and his precious Order taking them out.

It was mere hours before the ball and Jess, Hermione and Pansy where all in the East wing preparing themselves. Even though the shorter pug-faced girl was not part of the usual group she was still a friend and had been invited to Hermione's before to maintain that friendship.

Draco, Blaise and Theodore Nott were all in the west wing, belonging to Hermione's father, preparing themselves for the ball. Theo was there merely because he was to escort Pansy to the ball as Blaise was for Hermione and Draco for Jess.

The girls were frantic. Two hours to go!

"Dammit" Hermione exclaimed.

"What now Mya?" Jess said whilst fastening two tear drop diamond earrings to her ears.

"My hair is horrible and I can't find the straightening spell!"

"Is that all?" Pansy chimed as she waved her wand at Hermione's head, " There, now what else?"

"Pans if your ready why don't you go tell the boys that we'll meet them in the main hall!"

"Fine" and with that and a resounding pop she was gone.

"Finally I thought she'd never go," laughed Jess as she slipped on her white ballet slippers and headed towards the door of Hermione's room.

"Yeh. Okay lets go meet our men!"

The two laughed, joked and talked all the way down the main hall stairs where they could see Pansy and the others waiting for them at the bottom.

Blaise and Draco stood there talking. Both dressed in different respected colours to match their dates. Draco in a deep emerald green dress shirt with black tailored pants and neat Armani boots. His hair was left alone to fall gently around his face, accentuating his features and giving him the refined debonair look that his father always seemed to maintain. Blaise, on the other hand, wore a dark sapphire dress shirt with the same styled black pants as Draco and similar shoes. His own hair lay in a neat mess of chocolate curls on the top of his head and the colour of his indigo eyes set off by the shirt. Both stood stunned as the watched their friends descend the steps.

Jessica came first in a dress made in the same deep emerald colour which Draco wore. The neck dipped down into a modest V allowing her to show a little cleavage and the back was a neat array of criss-crossing elasticised straps. She had charmed white ballet slipper shoes on which tied up just above her ankles and a velvety black cloak. Her hair had been curled greatly and lay idly cascading down her back with multiple emerald gems placed neatly amongst the curls. Little make up lay upon her features and along with her tear drop earrings she had a simple silver necklace with another, slightly larger diamond hanging down upon her neck.

Presenting herself accordingly she walked into Draco's awaiting arms and placed a single finger on his chin, lifting it and closing his shamelessly open mouth.

Then there was Hermione. Her mother had picked out everything for her knowing full well that this was her first big initiation into the world of Death Eaters and that her daughter was most likely to buy a red dress and have her Gryffindor traits shine and shun her Slytherin tendencies. So instead she did the shopping and charmed all the items to be unchangeable by Hermione and the colours to set. This left Hermione gob smacked (A/n haha such a weird word) and unable to comprehend the actions straight. Nether the less she was now wearing the dress and looked beautiful.

Her gown had been a dark sapphire to match Blaise's shirt and it had a rounded neck which was just her style. Atleast her mother had taste. Then the skirts of the dress stopped just an inch above her ankles so that you could see the silver strappy heels that she had on underneath. They changed her height from five foot nothing to five eight. There was a series of silver tinted pearls draped around her neck, each looped longer than the other and all different shades. She wore pearl studded earrings to accompany it. Jess had spent half an hour after Hermione's hair, after it had been straightened by Pansy, twisting and clipping the thick mop into a neat and presentable hairstyle that sat on top of her head, allowing a few curls to drop and shape her face and brighten her almond eyes. There was an array of gems in her hair too. These mainly consisted of simple sapphires to compete with the dress and shadowed pearls to match her jewellery. There was also a similar black cloak laying upon her shoulders as was on Jessica's.

Hermione smiled brightly at her transformation as she descended the stairs and firstly walked towards Draco to hug him and then to Blaise her friend and partner for the night.

The three couples walked out the Main Hall and into the foyer where all their parents stood. Waiting for them.

Each child walked towards their family, mastering the smirks which now lay upon their features and the evil glint which seemed, almost, to be charmed into their eyes. With the once over and approval of their parents the segregated groups disappeared. Reappearing seconds later into the middle of the Malfoy Manor and splitting into pairs as they entered the ball room.

Hermione couldn't help but be nervous. This was it, she was to become a death eater, defy her friends and serve her one true enemy. She felt a hand tighten its grip around hers and two deep indigo eyes searching her for answers. The girl couldn't help but bow her head at this gesture, Hermione didn't want Blaise to see her weakness neither did she want anyone else to, for that could and would be the end of her.

He placed a reassuring hand around her waist as they entered in succession after Draco and Jess who were behind Pansy and Theo. Once all the young adults were in the room, this also included Crabbe, Goyle, Millicent, a few from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff and some others from Durmstrang, everyone formed a gathered crowd in front of the looming stage. Then they all lifted their hoods, Jess indicating to Mya that she should follow by lifting her own and hiding her identity.

A figure moved onto the stage. His cloak rapped demurely around his sickenly thin figure and his red slit-like eyes peering out into the now darkened room. It was like a sick, horrible nightmare and Hermione wanted to escape, but no, Blaise's hand tightened and her parents glared at her in warning. If she left now there was no returning to her old safe world.

"Welcome my lords and ladies, welcome to Malfoy Manor," came the debonair voice of Lucius Malfoy, "I would like to introduce one man that needs no introduction, Our Lord."

Applause was heard for a few seconds before a pale hand lifted and silence resounded. "My loyal Death Eaters, and chhhhildren. Welcome to the parrrrty," he chuckled to himself, a cold, deafening chuckle. "Well now we wouldn't want our yooooung ones waiting to long would we. Come forward my new allies."

A stabbing pain went through the four's backs as they were forced forward, towards him.

"Young Master Malfoy, and Miss Zabini please come up here," he called, Mya saw Jess's face, she was scared behind those indigo eyes yet she hid it away from the world pretty well and Draco he just stood there stone faced and passive to everything that was going on. Together they walked up towards what was soon to become their Lord. "And Mr Zabini, Miss Etoile, Mr Crabbe, Mr Goyle, Miss Parkinson, Mr Nott, Mr Saladin, Miss Sharan and Miss Ho, please follow them up her to take your vows."

Within mere seconds they had all pledged themselves to the Dark Lord and now stood with their parents before them brandishing hot irons. These had the dark mark carved onto them and were used to brand it, no burn it, into the skin. Slowly the coal was placed against their cool skin and slowly, ever so slowly, each child was broken. Jess holding back tears, watching her mother for every second that the brand had pressure added to it. Blaise next to his sister, bowing his head and taking it, wishing that he had been the only one chosen and that his sister had not been dragged into it. Draco glaring at his father, keeping a straight face and warning his old man with his eyes and then lastly Hermione, her tears had not been held back but her eyes were that of stone. Her mother seemed to take pleasure in her pain and watched every excruciating second.

Then came the linking to Voldemort, his wand and was placed successively on each ones arm, a spell was murmured and a bond formed. They now could feel his call and were summoned to his placing automatically.

The time passed and congratulations was given to each of the new recruits and a smile passed around. Mr and Mrs Etoile were beaming as were the Zabini's and Malfoy's. The four children though stood alone taking in what had just happened, they couldn't comprehend the fact that they now didn't belong to themselves but to a cause that was not theirs.

Draco held Jess tightly in his arms as an attempt to stop her tears, she broke away from her boyfriend, and ran to the arms of her brother, her twin and together they slumped down onto the floor in a dark corner and sobbed. Blaise comforting his sister in the only way he knew how, singing. Softly his voice filled the void around them,

Lay down, your sweet and weary head,

Night is falling,

You have come to journey's end,

Sleep now,

Dream of the ones who came before,

They are calling,

From across the distant shore.

Why do you weep?  
What are these tears upon your face?

Soon you will see,

All of your fears will pass away,

Safe in my arms,

Your only sleeping.

What can you see?

On the horizon,

Why do the white gulls call?

Across the sea,

A pale moon rises.

The ships have come to carry you home.

And all shall turn to silver glass,

The lights on the water,

All hope fades,

Into the West.

He finished and Jessica lay there in his arms resting her eyes, her tears still streaming but for a new reason. "That was beautiful," she whispered as she lay, "You should sing more often brother."

"Yes Blaise you really should," Draco said as he scooped up the resting girl into his arms and took her away up into his quarters so she could rest accordingly.

Hermione still stood there though, stunned by the beauty of his voice and the gentleness it had even in a time like this.

"I see you liked my song," came the hushed voice from the dark.

"Very much so, it was …amazing," she breathed slowly her reply.

"I shall have to sing for you next time then"

"That you shall."

And with that Blaise stood and closed the space between them capturing her soft lips with his own in a gentle, loving kiss. The passion was there but for now all it held was love. Both leaned into each other and held onto one and another grasping for some security.

Hermione pulled back slowly a smile gracing her features. "We should go find where the others have gone," she said taking his hand in hers.

"We should Cara and we should also make this official," He pulled her into him, "Will you be my girlfriend?"

"Of course"

Blaise smiled at this and placed a gentle hand around her waist leading her up towards Draco's room where the four were staying the night and where Draco and Jessica lay together, wrapped up in each others arms on the bed, fast asleep and peacefully dreaming.

There he and Hermione took the couch, and lay together talking for what seemed like hours before falling asleep in each others arms, never noticing the set of eyes that had been watching them ever since they left the ballroom.


End file.
